Navigating Summer Break: Promoting Mental Health and Well-Being in Children
The thought of summer break can be exciting, but daunting for some. Many kids may struggle to transition from the daily structure and routine during the school year to summer when there aren’t clear schedules. With the changes in routine, social interactions, and self-care levels varying, it can be hard for some. But no worries, there are many socio-emotional learning activities and coping skills for boredom, sadness, and “what ifs”.
The importance of mental health counseling, especially during summer, can be extremely beneficial for adjusting to the shifts in routine. Studies show that mental health in children and adolescents can decrease due to changes in social situations, limited to no access to school counselors, and the unknown of day-to-day activities. Therapy can give children the freedom to express themselves in a non-judgemental environment, give them tools to manage stress, and emotional regulation techniques to improve their overall lifelong well-being.
Children thrive from routines, structures, and schedules, especially those suffering from anxiety and depression. Children tend to feel more secure and confident when their days are predictable and provided with a daily routine. By implementing coping skills to utilize over the summer, you can give your children a framework for handling any negative emotions that may arise from the schedule changes. Let’s talk about some important coping skills that will be helpful for your children (and you!).
How to cope with summer routine changes:
Get outside: Chilling in the sunshine can release endorphins that boost mood. Children need to get time to play outdoors physically, mentally, and emotionally. Studies show that vitamin D from sun exposure in healthy amounts is good for children’s immune systems.
Limit screen time: Hours of electronics can decrease mental health, lower self-confidence, and lower mood. It can be easy to overdo it on screen time during the summer when there’s not as much structure. Unplugging and playing can allow children to discover new talents and skills, engage in quality family time, and allow for unstructured time in new and healthy ways.
Family time: Parents spending quality time together with their children can do numbers on their development and growth. It can be normal for us to get consumed by day-to-day tasks, but even taking 10 minutes daily to do simple things as a family such as preparing and cooking meals, creating fun summer activities, movie nights, time outside, family game nights, and bedtime routines collaboratively are just some of the ways quality time can be spent.
Mindfulness: Mindfulness can help with reducing stress, and symptoms of anxiety and depression. It can be done as a family or individually, with skills such as body scanning and a plethora of breathing techniques that can be quick. Socialization patterns change when children leave the classroom.
Get out of the house: Encouraging them to attend summer camps and establishing play dates can be a great way for kids to grow mentally and emotionally with social events. Volunteering with parent involvement can also be an enjoyable social experience for children.
Take care of yourself too: No one can pour from an empty cup. Ways to practice self-care as a parent can include starting small, scheduling it, and involving others. A 10 to 15-minute walk, increasing your consumption of water, engaging in mindfulness for a few minutes, and writing down a few things that make you happy and bring you joy are some simple ways you can implement self-care. If we don’t make space to take care of ourselves as parents, we will find ourselves overwhelmed and burnt out more often than not. Try scheduling a date night with friends or a partner, scheduling a yoga or workout class, or setting scheduled time aside for an hour for a hobby. Burnout can be due to a lack of self-care, so maintaining proper care of oneself and taking care of your own needs is imperative.
With the right support and activities, children can successfully navigate the transition from school to summer break. By incorporating socio-emotional learning, individual counseling, coping skills, quality family time, and maintaining routines, they can enjoy a fulfilling and balanced summer. Parents also need to prioritize self-care to ensure they can provide the best support for their children.
At Nurture and Be Therapy Services, serving parents and their children is one of our greatest passions. We have counseling for teens, children, and adults who can help find the best tools for your family during the summer months. We serve Georgia, Florida, and Pennsylvania virtually, with office locations in Buford, GA and Peachtree City, GA. Book a consult with us today!
